So I'll leave?

That evening.

Yadis Kingdom, the capital city of Werner.

A side hall of the ornate palace.

"Darren, you bastard!! That's Germa! A member nation of the World Government, and you nearly wiped them off the map!?"

A roar of fury erupted from the military Den Den Mushi sitting on the coffee table, the snail perfectly mimicking the appearance of Admiral Sengoku of the Marine Headquarters, who was so enraged he looked ready to blow a fuse.

"Do you have any idea? The Germa Kingdom isn't just some ordinary member state; they are one of the few nations qualified to attend the Reverie!!"

"Do you realize how much political pressure this is going to cause?"

"Protecting member nations is the duty and responsibility of the Marines!"

"..."

Darren sat on a plush leather sofa, holding a glass of whiskey on the rocks in one hand and a lit cigar in the other.

He crossed his legs, puffing on his cigar, listening to Sengoku's tirade with an air of indifference.

Gion, Momonga, and Gion's partner—whose face was swollen like a pig's head—stood nearby, not daring to breathe, keeping their eyes fixed on their own noses.

"...Damn it!! Darren, you bastard, are you even listening to me!!"

After two minutes of non-stop venting, Sengoku grew even more incensed when he realized Darren had no intention of responding.

"Do you not want to be the North Blue Admiral anymore!?"

Darren smiled and replied:

"Shall I leave, then?"

Sengoku: "..."

On the other end of the line, in the Admiral's office.

Sengoku was suddenly silenced, his aged face flushing a deep red.

The situation in the North Blue was chaotic beyond measure; he hadn't forgotten the lessons learned from when those two bastards, Borsalino and Sakazuki, were stationed there.

Only a cunning brat like Darren could keep the North Blue in line.

If he were to leave, without his suppression, this sea would likely revert to being the backyard of pirates and mafia families in no time.

"Just kidding..."

Darren's smile deepened. He took a sip of his whiskey, feeling the spicy, rich liquor flow down his throat, and said calmly:

"Admiral Sengoku, there's no need to be so tense. I will handle this matter."

Hearing the North Blue Admiral's nonchalant attitude, Sengoku nearly jumped again, the corner of his eye twitching uncontrollably.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to rush to the North Blue and beat Darren to a pulp.

"Darren, you brat, what exactly are you thinking... If this isn't handled carefully, it will trigger a chain reaction."

Sengoku's voice dropped, his tone grave:

"The Germa Kingdom has been a member of the World Government for three hundred years, ever since its founding."

"The Marines taking action against a member nation... if this blows up, even I won't be able to protect you."

Darren exhaled a cloud of smoke and smiled:

"I understand that, Admiral Sengoku."

"But there was a reason for this incident. Vinsmoke Judge led Germa 66 to attack the Yadis Kingdom, which is also a member of the government... If I hadn't intervened to stop that war, the Yadis Kingdom would likely be mired in bloodshed and chaos by now."

Sengoku's mouth twitched.

You call that stopping a war?

You nearly slaughtered the entire army of the Germa Kingdom!

Darren continued:

"As for the chaotic situation in the North Blue, I believe that with Admiral Sengoku's wisdom, you can see it as clearly as fire."

"With wars and friction constant among the nations, this incident serves as a signal—a warning—to the many countries of the North Blue..."

"As for the casualties of the Germa Kingdom... the army of Germa 66 consists primarily of Clone Soldiers. These products of cloning technology are essentially weapons, not civilians."

"Based on Vinsmoke Judge's own ambition and arrogance, after careful analysis, I believe this is the only way to teach him a lesson he won't forget."

"If we don't use overwhelming force to subdue him, given his personality, he will only become more arrogant, rampant, and unscrupulous. If that happens, it won't just be the Yadis Kingdom dragged into the quagmire of war."

"It's hard to imagine how many innocent civilian lives would be lost to the flames of war by then, and how many happy families would be shattered by Germa's ambition?"

Hearing the Marine Captain's high-minded rhetoric, Gion and Gion's partner standing nearby both rolled their eyes in unison.

You don't care about civilian casualties; you're just worried that the outbreak of war would mean you have no money to rake in.

Sengoku, on the other end of the Den Den Mushi, fell silent.

He was, of course, well aware of the ambitious commander of Germa, Vinsmoke Judge.

Indeed, just as Darren said, the Yadis Kingdom was merely the first step for Vinsmoke Judge; after all, the latter's ambition and goal was to conquer the entire North Blue.

"...So Darren, how do you intend to handle this?"

Sengoku pondered for a moment, the anger in his voice dissipating significantly.

Although he was extremely dissatisfied with Darren's actions this time, since the event had already occurred, pursuing accountability now would be of no use.

Darren's talent, methods, aptitude, and meritorious service... all proved that he was an indispensable pillar for the future of the Navy.

Moreover, based on Sengoku's understanding of Darren, this cunning and shrewd brat would never bring trouble upon himself.

No matter how sensitive a political incident might be, he could always resolve it perfectly in an unexpected way.

"You don't need to worry too much about that, Admiral Sengoku..."

Darren flicked the ash from his cigarette and smiled with keen interest:

"I will handle everything and give Vinsmoke Judge an offer he cannot refuse."

"He will not lodge a protest with the World Government, the Germa Kingdom will maintain its status as a member nation, the Navy will not be implicated or affected in any way, and the North Blue will continue to maintain peace and stability..."

Darren leaned forward slightly, his smile cold and sharp.

"...under the governance of our Navy."

The side chamber fell silent, with only Darren's strong, overbearing voice echoing faintly.

Three seconds later, "...Then I will leave it to you, Darren. Regardless of the cost, this matter must be handled properly."

Sengoku's deep voice came through the Den Den Mushi.

Darren smiled with satisfaction:

"Mission guaranteed, Admiral Sengoku."

Blu!

The Den Den Mushi connection cut off.

Darren turned his head to look at Momonga, "How is the situation over at Germa being handled?"

Momonga said in a deep voice:

"Ten warships have been mobilized from other branches in the North Blue, with over 5,000 troops. Basically, the situation in the entire Germa Kingdom is under control, and their fleet has already sailed out of the Yadis Kingdom's waters under our 'escort'."

"As for Vinsmoke Judge himself, he has been detained on our warship, just as you requested."

Darren nodded.

After years of cooperation and working together, he trusted Momonga's competence quite a bit.

"How do you intend to deal with Vinsmoke Judge? Regardless of everything, he is still the ruler of a nation."

At this moment, Gion, who had remained silent, finally couldn't help but speak up.

Darren glanced at her and suddenly smiled:

"That is not something Major Gion needs to worry about."

"Right now, we have more important things to do."

"What things?" Gion was taken aback.

Darren clapped his hands and laughed:

"Celebrating our victory."